Scarlette walked over to me, a chicken tucked under her arm, its frantic clucking filling the air.
"Look at how fresh it is!" she beamed, proud of her chaotic find.
But I wasn't paying attention to her. My gaze swept over the crowd, their murmurs of gossip drifting through the marketplace. I saw their horrified expressions, wide eyes whispering in hushed tones.
"No, Scarlette. Look at how fresh that is." I smirked, nodding toward the gossiping crowd.
She looked up, still holding the chicken. "You're really good at this," she chuckled, oblivious.
"You're not so bad yourself." I replied, my tone light. She was the mistress of chaos, after all, and I… well, I was the poison in the water.
"So, you're sure you can cook this?" she asked, eyeing the chicken like a challenge.
"I could always just make a bonfire," Scarlette teased.
I shivered involuntarily, remembering the time she made a wild chicken fall in love with a fish, only for the poor creature to be snatched by an eagle and thrown into a bonfire.
"There's a stove in Lumera's house, you know," I replied, trying to sound confident. "I said I would cook. Why does everyone doubt me?"
She just shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips. Damn that spice shopkeeper… he had really gotten under my skin.
We reached Lumera's house, and Scarlette swung open the door. Without hesitation, she used the Emerald to kill and defeather the chicken, her motions smooth and effortless.
I couldn't bring myself to look at her—the efficiency of it was too much.
Instead, I busied myself setting up an old pot, my hands shaking slightly as I poured in the chili.
This was going to be a fantastic meal. One that would leave Scarlette with no choice but to admit she was wrong.
You'll have your chili, and you'll like it, Scarlette.
I added some oil to the mix, swirling it over a warm fire while the fish I bought earlier simmered in another pot on the stove. I'd tossed in a few lemons I'd plucked from the trees outside Lumera's house—perfectly sliced, of course. I knew what I was doing.
Even though she was taken so suddenly, and didn't deserve it, Lumera kept her house in pristine condition. Was that a trait of all Light Fairies?
I glanced at Scarlette in the corner, washing her hands before she dropped the chicken into boiling water with a quiet, deliberate motion.
"Alright, Scarlette, let me take over from here," I said smoothly, stepping forward.
She looked up, watching me with an unreadable expression, then smiled faintly.
"It's like you're human," she said, amusement lacing her voice.
I shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I've had a few interactions with them in my forest. I've seen how they do things."
I transferred the water from the pot where the chicken had been stewing into a bowl.
Then, I sliced the chicken into delicate strips with a knife—not the Emerald, like Scarlette had done. I dumped the chili into it, the vibrant red spilling like liquid fire.
Scarlette sneezed, scrunching up her face at the sharp scent in the air.
"Are you sure it's supposed to be like that?" she asked, her nose wrinkling.
"Yes, of course." I replied confidently, stirring the pot with a rhythmic motion.
"Every good thing needs time to simmer," I continued, my voice low. "Be it food or rumors."
I stirred the pot consistently, just as I'd seen the humans do. The smell filled the room, sharp and fiery.
Scarlette watched me, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. She should be impressed; I was making a three-course meal.
Chicken soup, chili with shredded chicken, and simmered fish with lemon. I knew how to cook.
Then, I saw Scarlette pause, deep in thought.
"So, what are you going to do once you have the Light Guardian?" she asked, her voice casual.
I paused, stirring the food just a little too aggressively.
"We're so close to altering reality. Surely there's something you want."
"Redemption," I replied flatly, not bothering to elaborate.
"Redemption?" she repeated, her voice rising with amusement. But I was too focused on not charring the chicken to care.
"Hold on... it's hot." I called out, carefully placing the food onto plates and walking toward the dining table. I could feel her eyes on me, but I kept my gaze steady on the food.
"Is that your big plan?" she asked, still standing there, clearly amused by my response. Can't she see I'm busy?
"I want to be human," I added, my tone sharp now, irritation creeping into my voice. "Can't you tell?"
Scarlette froze, looking at me with wide eyes—like a deer in headlights.
"What's going through your mind?" I muttered, setting the plates down in front of us, trying to ignore her surprised expression.
"I was born a Dark Fairy. A being of destruction," I continued, my voice quieter now, more introspective. "I've killed so many. Fed on countless others. But I want redemption. And it's not possible unless I'm human." I tried to keep my words steady, but there was a subtle weight in them I couldn't quite shake.
"So, that vampire who was after Lumera... back then?" she asked, her voice slightly less mocking now—more curious.
"I ate him," I said nonchalantly, not missing a beat. "Is that so surprising?"
"What about you?" I asked, sitting down at the table and finally meeting her gaze.
She looked at me, her brow furrowing, and then—after a beat—seemed to put it together.
"But you are the notorious Veravos... the Dark Fairy that hunts villains. You are literally their boogeyman." She trailed off, then a sudden understanding flashed in her eyes. "Wait… yeah, that makes sense."
"Did you actually think I was a saint?" I retorted.
"A saint?" She laughed, shaking her head. "Human-like occasionally, but you're definitely not a saint."
Human-like? Was that a compliment? I couldn't quite tell. But wasn't that the reason I couldn't mesh with the other Dark Fairies? They'd never understand that part of me. Maybe it was a good thing, after all.
I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Everyone has their dreams. Don't I deserve one too?"
"I've lived by a code—to hunt only villains—but that's just survival. It's my nature to feed, my very being. But that doesn't mean I have to be a monster." My voice tightened, frustration creeping in. "Must I keep explaining myself?"
Scarlette shook her head, her expression softening. "No, you don't have to," she said gently. "We should've talked about this, Veravos. But we've been so caught up in everything... it all happened so fast. Still, I'm glad you want this. You deserve to be happy."
Her words settled over me like a quiet warmth. She understood.
I hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Do you think redemption is possible for me?" I lifted my spoon and took a slow sip of my soup.
"Yes, of course," she said without hesitation, taking a bite of the chili chicken.
She froze. Her eyes widened. Then she coughed, struggling to breathe.
I smirked. Wimp.
"Veravos! What is this?" she wheezed, fanning her tongue frantically before grabbing the soup and gulping it down like her life depended on it.
And then, something I didn't expect.
"It's so good!" she exclaimed, eyes still watering.
I nearly dropped my spoon. I could faint right now.
"Do you mind if I finish this?" Scarlette asked, pointing at the chili chicken.
I eyed it warily. I was not touching that.
"Yeah, please, go ahead. I cooked it for you to try. It's called chili—humans eat it," I explained, carefully keeping my frustration in check.
Why does it not affect her? That masochist.
She took another bite, entirely unfazed. "So, I never said why I wanted the spell yet," she said, her words only slightly muffled by the food.
I arched an eyebrow but let her continue.
"I want to create a world where fairies can live in peace. Where people aren't judged by what they are. Our origins don't have to define our lives."
I watched, horrified, as she effortlessly devoured the rest of the bowl while I quietly ate my lemon-infused fish. Yet, despite my disbelief, I liked what she was saying.
"I think... there might be a way for both of our visions to coexist," I admitted.
Seriously, why didn't we talk about this before? We were already too deep in this to be working at cross purposes. Too many things were just happening together. It's better to talk now than find out only moments before the emerald, the scroll, and the Light Guardian were together. What if her ideal reality is my nightmare?
But was she telling the truth? Would the spell work if there were two realities to create? No one had those answers.
One thing was certain, though—we needed to find the Light Guardian. The one that Judorah and the Dark Fairies had trapped with them.
I hoped the rumors I'd sown would be enough to draw them out.
I watched as Scarlette leaned back, swirling the last bit of soup in her bowl.
"You know, I've never met anyone like you," she said suddenly.
Something about her tone made me pause.
"All these centuries and there you are, someone who actually gets me."
I studied her carefully, but she wasn't looking at me—she was staring past me, as if lost in thought.
Then she met my gaze, and her expression shifted, something more serious settling over her features.
"I'm going to tell you everything, Veravos. Hold this to your heart, because this is personal."
I set down my fork.
"I am never like this around people but you. You are not people," she said.
What secrets could she hold? Why did it sound so serious?
She took a slow breath, as if weighing her words.
"A long time ago, it was just me. I was the first Love Fairy."
She let the words settle, watching for my reaction before continuing.
"I was formed at the dawn of magic itself. I created ancient spells—magic beyond comprehension. Then, a century later, others like me began to appear. Love Fairies, born from magic just as I was. Naturally, I became their leader. The oldest, the strongest. But their ways were… different."
"How different?" I asked.
Scarlette's lips curled into a humorless smile.
"They believed love magic should exist only as a means of survival—to prevent extinction. A tool, nothing more. But I refused to bend to their ideals. Under King Baltimore's reign, they made love magic myopic, one-dimensional. The art of offensive Love Magic was lost because they arrested me."
She exhaled sharply, frustration simmering beneath her words.
"They called me the Queen of Hearts and Ruin—a deviant. All because I was accused of inciting a riot. I did no such thing. They were the heartless ones. They turned on me."
I leaned forward. "Tell me more about King Baltimore."
A shadow flickered across her face.